I smell cherry prunes, fresh split wood, distant caramel. minimal off white head on reddish amber clarity. smooth & aromatic in the mouth. ctirus hops speak up among the fruit in the flavor department, dry among the sweet.

This is a robust, sweet ale. It is a little like a hearty brown ale crossed with a light stout. I tasted some tobacco, molasses, and a sharp, astringent finish. The aroma is sweet and chocolatey. Very good.

Bottle from QFC, SeattleNice dark amber color with red hue, clean, and with small compact head. Aroma and flavor are caramel based, the aroma is also a bit oxidized, there are enough residual sugars, and it ends with a strong component of roasted nuts; although in the final there is a bit of chicory-like bitterness.Good beer.

Appearance is a dark brown copper color supporting a thin dissipating head leaving patchy lace. Smell of dark specialty malts, dark fruits with a light sweetness. Taste has a rich flavor of the dark fruits, strong malt backbone with a touch of hops to offset the sweetness. Mouthfeel is full and slick. A very nice strong ale thats an easy sipper on the coldest days.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tumbler on 12.23.13.
A: Slight head. Cloudy dark amber.
S: Sweet malt, fruity. Maybe has raspberry.
T: Black pepper, toast, bitter hops. Some fruit.
O: The black pepper hits very hard along with a strong bitterness. A terrible burnt aftertaste then takes over. This one is not balanced at all. I thought that it might have been a bad bottle, but at 7% ABV, it should have held up. This went down the drain.

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